Military ready with 9,000 beds, 8,500 docs & staff

The armed forces have kept over 9,000 hospital beds ready to treat Covid-19 patients, along with more than 8,500 doctors and support staff to extend necessary assistance to civilian administrations, even as military aircraft have transported around 25 tonne of medical supplies around the country in the last three days.

TNN

April 02, 2020, 07:22 IST

NEW DELHI: The armed forces have kept over 9,000 hospital beds ready to treat Covid-19 patients, along with more than 8,500 doctors and support staff to extend necessary assistance to civilian administrations, even as military aircraft have transported around 25 tonne of medical supplies around the country in the last three days.

Having already supplied around 1.5 lakh litres of sanitisers to different organisations, the DRDO is also making five-layered nano technology N99 face masks and PPE (personal protective equipment) on a war-footing now.

Taking stock of the efforts being made by the Army, Navy and IAF as well as DRDO, defence PSUs and Ordnance Factory Board in terms of evacuation, medical care, quarantine facilities and production of medical equipment, defence minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday asked them to “redouble their work” and closely coordinate with other ministries in the national endeavour to fight the coronavirus outbreak.

DRDO chief Dr G Satheesh Reddy said his organisation had already made 10,000 N99 masks and their daily production would be ramped up to 20,000 soon. “DRDO has also supplied 40,000 other face masks to the Delhi Police. A DRDO lab has also made arrangements to make 20,000 PPE per day. We also engaged in minor modification of ventilators so that one machine can support four patients at the same time,” he said.

Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, in turn, told the minister that 28 military hospitals, with over 9,000 beds, have been earmarked to exclusively deal with military and civilian Covid-19 patients.

Over 1,000 evacuees from countries like Italy, Iran and Malaysia are quarantined at military facilities in Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Chennai, Manesar, Hindon and Mumbai. Their quarantine period will end by April 7, he said.

Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh said warships were on standby to extend assistance to civil administrations. The IAF, on its part, has airlifted nearly 25 tonnes of essential medical supplies from Delhi, Surat and Chandigarh to Manipur, Nagaland, J&K and Ladakh.

“Regular airlift of Covid-19 test samples from Ladakh to Delhi is also being carried out. IAF is adequately geared up to meet all the emerging demands, with aircraft like C-17s, C-130Js, AN-32s, Avros and Dorniers being tasked as and when required basis,” said Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria.

Army chief General M M Naravane, in turn, informed Singh that over 8,500 doctors and support staff are ready to extend necessary assistance to civilian administrations. In keeping with the defence minister’s direction that help should be provided to neighbouring countries, assistance to Nepal in the form of medical equipment will be delivered shortly, he added.

Director general of the Armed Forces Medical Services Lt-General Anup Banerji said necessary equipment has been procured and dispatched to various hospitals. While retired health professionals have also been kept in readiness to volunteer their services, around 25,000 NCC cadets are being mobilised to provide necessary local assistance.

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